Mom shares what she saw day toddler was crushed by car

STOCKTON - One year ago today, Deleshia Mason lost her 3-year-old son, Ruben Ramirez, when a woman rammed her car into the toddler, pinning him against a building, crushing him to death.

Jennie Rodriguez-Moore

STOCKTON - One year ago today, Deleshia Mason lost her 3-year-old son, Ruben Ramirez, when a woman rammed her car into the toddler, pinning him against a building, crushing him to death.

Mason held a tissue to her eyes, absorbing tears, in court Tuesday.

Then she relived the incident during the trial of the accused driver, 23-year-old Aushua McDuff-Brown.

On that day, one year ago, Mason remembered she was helping Ruben park his scooter in front of Madison Market before they could go inside. But the scooter kept falling down.

Meanwhile, an altercation ensued in the same store parking lot between two women who were unknown to them.

In a matter of moments, one of the women got into a 2006 Ford Focus and crashed into Ruben.

"I tried to grab him, but it was too late," a soft-spoken Mason testified.

McDuff-Brown is charged with premeditated murder under the theory that she intended to kill the woman who was fighting McDuff-Brown's passenger, and that intent was transferred to Ruben when she instead hit him.

A jury began hearing testimony from Stockton police, Mason and Shakara Daan, the woman prosecutors say was the intended target.

"I'm going to ask you to find Ms. McDuff-Brown guilty of the murder of Ruben Ramirez," San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney Mark Ott told jurors during opening arguments.

On Oct. 3, 2011, McDuff-Brown gave her friend a ride to drop off his children at Madison Market in a custody exchange with the children's mother.

An argument ensued between both parties, followed by a physical fight with passengers from both vehicles.

Witnesses said McDuff-Brown got into her car and sped directly toward one of the women.

That woman, later identified as Daan, reluctantly testified Tuesday. An investigator for the District Attorney's Office had to locate Daan and bring her to court.

According to Mason and Daan, McDuff-Brown continued revving her engine as the child was pinned to the store building.

Mason took a deep breath before recounting those details.

"I ran to her," Mason said. "I told her she hit my baby."

And Mason said she reached into the car, trying to shift it into reverse. McDuff-Brown backed up, then she drove away.

Police reports say she left town on a Greyhound bus. After several days on the run, a bus passenger recognized her from news reports and alerted authorities. She was arrested in El Monte in Southern California.

But McDuff-Brown has said she didn't intend to kill anyone. During police interviews she said Daan struck her moving car with a scooter as she was driving away. She told police that she pressed on the brake, but released it when someone came up to pull her hair.

That's when her car moved forward and hit Ruben, she said.

But her passenger, Timothy Fonville, told investigators McDuff-Brown was trying to hit the woman.

Trial testimony continues today. If found guilty, McDuff-Brown faces a potential life term in state prison.

McDuff-Brown's relatives declined to comment.

Ruben's grandmother, Mary Booker, said the family is hoping to put away memories of the terrible day after the trial.

"These are not good memories," Booker said. "It's been a long, rocky road but I know in the end justice will serve.